The Sports Page...
This Cane's pic is just for Mark...
So, it seems like we need to have a thread for our sports topics. I'll always be partial to WV Football, and then any other NCAA sport, but this thread is open to all sports discussions, college, professional, whatever you want.
So, it seems like we need to have a thread for our sports topics. I'll always be partial to WV Football, and then any other NCAA sport, but this thread is open to all sports discussions, college, professional, whatever you want.
posted by ANONYMOUS | 5:12 PM
36 Comments:
BTW - I would've put up some Red Sox pics, but I'm running late and gotta take off. Send me a couple if you have any good ones and I'll put em up there.
Fuck the Red Sox pictures - we need some Hurricanes photos up there.
OH NO YOU DON'T!
Sorry, but we ain't 'tainting' my blog with any 'Canes pics.
Oh wait, I'll put one up if you REALLY want. :)
So, let me start the first 'real' post here...
ESPN writer Bruce Feldman has had an interesting week with posting who he sees at #1 for next college football season. I LOVE this shit. :)
Here is his original article:
Since fall camp is just a few weeks away and because I feel like I've been dodging too many e-mail and chat questions about what my top 10 looks like, I figured it's a good time to trot out my preseason top 16. My criteria is simple: which teams have the best chance to reach the title game.
1. West Virginia: All of the key pieces (most notably QB Patrick White and RB Steve Slaton) are back and should be better with a year of seasoning and an offseason in the Mountaineers' weight program. And unlike many other Top 25 teams, WVU's O-line isn't a major concern. The hunger is there, too. The Mountaineers have spent the last six months hearing people suggest that 2005 was a fluke. Better still, the schedule is ideal for a title run. WVU should be double-digit favorites in its first seven games before a trip to Louisville, which also probably will be its lone matchup with a top-20 team.
WVU's performance against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl was an important kickoff to the 2006 season. Yes, last year was last year, but that win planted a seed in the heads of the pollsters that the Mountaineers are legit. So WVU figures to start this season ranked in the top 10, maybe even the top six. With that ranking, the Mountaineers won't have a huge hill to climb in 2006, which is a huge plus since their schedule would be tough to overcome if they had to work their way from way back in the pack. The downside? Both Pat Forde and I are now touting them. One more guy on a laptop pumping them up and it's officially the kiss of death.
and here is some funny commentary:
From Eric in Anaheim, Calif.: West Virginia is your No. 1? ESPN should drug test you.
Feldman: Actually, ESPN did drug test me when I got hired. Seriously. That was the policy back then. I simply think the Mountaineers have the best chance of going through the regular season undefeated, and I wouldn't be quick to bet against Rich Rodriguez in a one-game setting with Patrick White and Steve Slaton around.
From Andy in Columbus, Ohio: How can you justify basing your criteria simply on which team has the best chance to reach the BCS title game (i.e. which team has the easiest schedule)? The best team should be the best team! A good team in a weak conference does not constitute the "best."
Feldman: It does if they're the only unbeaten team in the top 10. Ask UGA fans how weak West Virginia is. Remember the Mountaineers came into the Dawgs' backyard and took it right to them. It's not like that game was played in Morgantown, and every key guy who played in that game for WVU is back. You can't say the same thing about any other top team. Your Buckeyes did lose a ton of key guys (not just on defense but the leader of the O-line, Nick Mangold, and the best WR they've had, Santonio Holmes). Texas lost possibly the best player in school history and USC lost two Heisman winners and its all-time leading TD man.
Very nice. Very nice, Anon!!
I can handle it, that's fine - just do me a favor, tell your boys to get somewhat of a decent schedule going - the '06 schedule is pretty damn sorry.
However, I do realize being left in the Big East dust cramps the schedule-making quite a bit, so I understand. I didn't want Miami going to the ACC, nor am I happy they left for that conference.
Was 2003 really the last time the two titans collided?? Wow. I still remember the licking the dude from WVU put on Meriweather. Ugghh....
Yeah... '03 was the last time.
Now we don't even have VT to hate on any more either. I think the only two real 'rival' games left are Maryland and Pitt. Louisville has potential to be a future big time rival though...
Yes, the schedule is weak, but they're at least trying to get 'some' decent teams in the future. Auburn in '08/'09 and Michigan St in '10/'11. Of course this year, Buffalo bowed out and was replaced with an even worse I-AA Eastern Washington, so that really sucks.
As long as we go undefeated, and no other two teams in other conferences go undefeated, we should be a legit. contender for National title. Thanks of course to the high ranking out of the gate.
We'll see. Man it can't START soon enough!
I think Miss. State had a really tough schedule last year and are a bit under rated, so that might be a surprise for us...
The captured photo of Corso at the GameDay booth is priceless. I hope it isn't doctored in any way, shape or form b/c it's basically calling a spade a spade.
On a side note - you might as wel change the title of this thread to College Football '06, unless PK comes on spatting shit about the Sox, or CAZ comes on here and starts talkin' Orioles or Mak-1 begins to clamor about the Magic' hopes this coming basketball season.
As far as I know that Corso pic is NOT doctored.
...and yeah, I hear ya, I might change it over to '06 College football, but I have a feeling PK or WTG will start having some shit to say about the Sox.
Why do I have a feeling we might be talking dodgeball & kickball in here too?
WW is not going to Morgantown - WVU said "Thanks, but no thanks!" according to the Morgantown Gazette. Probably a newspaper you are familiar with, having been a student there, so go check it out.
GO CANES!!!
Yeah.. I started hearing that yesterday as well. I also started hearing rumors that Louisville might be interested. Wouldn't surprise me from the likes of Petrino.
Uhhhh...
Tracy, are you absolutely lost at this point??
And Anon - Petrino has already taken in one potential Miami starter that has a rap sheet, including armed robbery with a fuckin' SEMI - so I wouldn't put it past him to take in WW with open arms.
Damn! I missed the ESPY's last night... I KNEW there was something I was supposed to be watching.
Yeah, I haven't been keeping up with Patrino's latest convicts, but it looks like Louisville is well on its way to replacing the Hokies in the convict category for the Big East.
Um, let me know when we start talking Pro Football or College basketball, 'Nova is Div I-AA in football so I'll admit I'm pretty much a whore when it comes to college football, I root for Notre Dame(my dad went there so at least I have a tiny connection). Though it will be interesting when Villanova comes to Orlando to play UCF, if Nova somehow wins, its all I will talk about the entire season, I don't care how low UCF is in Div I.
Check out the future WVU schedule Tom! We play you guys in Mo'Town in Sept. 08.
Woo Hoo... Can't wait to pound Nova! ;)
Oh... and wasn't UCF pretty good last season? I don't remember who they lost to in their bowl...
Atlanta slammed St. Louis, but what a drag-ass performance by Jorge Sosa, again. I wonder if Bobby Cox sends Sosa's ass packing down to Richmond after that shit?
Go Braves!
Yeah baby! That's right!
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NEWPORT, R.I. - They came in droves from all over America to this spring's hottest destination spot: Morgantown, W.Va.
That's right, West Virginia. Almost heaven for John Denver, but hell on Georgia's SEC champions in the Sugar Bowl.
And after witnessing the Mountaineers' magic in the 38-35 upset of Georgia, dozens of college coaches, including Florida's Urban Meyer and staffs from Penn State, Texas A&M and Cal, descended on Morgantown to learn about Coach Rich Rodriguez's spread offense. In all, more than 900 college and high school coaches visited.
"I'm sure," Rodriguez said, "the hotels and restaurants around town were happy."
Not as happy as the Mountaineers and their Big East brethren.
"All of a sudden that one game took that cloud [of negativity in the Big East] away," Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said. "It was a significant game. I call it a 'watershed' game. It wiped out all this negative perception about the league."
Added Louisville coach Bobby Petrino: "There was a pretty big microscope on our conference. But West Virginia beating Georgia, a team from the SEC, highly respected that has won national championships, showed the legitimacy of the BCS bid."
West Virginia is legit, all right. The Mountaineers are not only the preseason favorites to win the Big East title, but legitimate contenders for the national title. Quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton are among 15 returning starters off last year's 11-1 and No. 5-ranked club.
However, Mountaineer fans remember the past two times - 1998 and 2004 - when WVU was picked to win the Big East. WVU finished a disappointing 8-4 both seasons.
Rodriguez said last year's success will not change how he does things this season.
"Everybody has asked how your approach will be different this year," Rodriguez said. "It's not. It's going to be the same as the past six seasons."
One thing that will change are the expectations. The Mountaineers have already sold 40,000 season tickets (they won't sell any more) with the remaining 20,000 at Mountaineer Field expected to be gone before the season opener.
Last year's success has helped the Mountaineers get four weekday night nationally televised games. "It's like our own reality show," Rodriguez said. "We play on three Thursdays and a Friday. I just hope they don't kick me off the island. But the exposure is great.
"The expectations are high. You should have high expectations. They have them at Texas, Ohio State and USC. It's part of building the program up. It's a pretty humble profession. It's not that far from the penthouse to the outhouse. One loss and all of sudden a lot of folks think the sky is falling."
As a native son of a coal miner, Rodriguez realizes how important the success of the Mountaineers is to the state.
"Without any pro sports, West Virginia athletics is a big deal in the state of West Virginia," Rodriguez said. "Our folks take a lot of pride in that. That's good when you're doing good, not so good when you're not doing good. We have great passion."
All I saw there was donuts and beer...
interesting combo...
not sure I want to try it.
Although I used to eat mini Snickers while drinking beer... I think it was because I didn't really like beer yet.
But I guess this is a post for the alcohol blog... except I didn't drink anything. I'm just talking about past drinking.
Anyway...
Motherfucker! The WVU ticket office number has been busy all friggin day. Today is the first day that single game tickets went on sale.
I'm not sure if anyone is interested in going, but I'll be heading up to the WVU vs. Syracuse Homecoming game on Oct. 14th. I've already got an awesome room in the downtown riverfront reserved, so you'd just have to buy a plane ticket and a ticket to the game. I might be convinced to do a road trip if enough people wanted to go and skip the plane.
Let me know.
Success! Got the tickets yesterday for the 'Cuse game. It's sounding like the entire season will be a sell out for home games within the next week or so.
Red Sox look to be in good shape. Especially since the White Sox's schedule is a bear, with no days off until 8/28!
Ouch... so much for that prediction. Heh.
...and the meltdown continues with the Red Sox.
On a better note: McNabb looked good on the opening drive for Philly last night.
Yeah, well, we'll see how Beckett does against Detroit tonight.
This 3 game series with the Tigers should help figure some things out...
Everybody was saying how the White Sox schedule was going to be a bear, blah blah blah... They don't seem to be struggling like everyone was thinking.
WTF man, Detroit is wiping the floor with Red Sox. White Sox sweep Detroit, and now Detroit is up 2 games in this 3 game series... This doesn't look good for the Red Sox in the long haul.
Sorry.
At least they didn't let Detroit pull the sweep. Here come the Yankees...
I hear ya... I've ALWAYS hated the Yankees!
How'd ya get pics from Detroit? Know someone out there?
I cant WAIT till college football starts... Sept 2nd baby!
Also, got my plane ticket to fly into DC last week for the WVU vs Syracuse Homecoming game in October.
Ugh... 5 1/2 back. The Sox better pull their ass outta this hole... At least don't let them friggin sweep all 5 games!
Oh well, sweep it is.
Jesus... Did everyone see the Blue Jays footage with their pitcher and manager going at it? Good times man!
My Sat. just got better. ESPN Classic is replaying the triple OT win by WVU vs Louisville at 2pm today! Let's go Mountaineers!
Marshall next week on ESPN GamePlan!
Man, that loss last night has gotta hurt for Mark. At least Caz might get out of the doghouse with that one. Maybe.
I can't BELIEVE how bad Miami played. FSU really isn't 'that good', but neither is Miami at this point.
On a brighter note, my Mountaineers did just fine with their 42-10 stomping of the Marshall Thundering Turd.
Too bad Caz is too much of a pussy to come over and watch his Maryland team get stomped by WVU on the Thursday night game next week.
This Thursday night WVU will have national spotlight once again. Time to put a hurtin to the turtle's of Maryland.
Everyone's being real quiet about it, but I think WVU is planning a massacre.
AWWW YEAH! Killed the Twerps! Slaton now on the short list for Heisman!
Nope.
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